EvilPhoEniX

A shorty from Spain where a girl tries to convince her little sister that the figure who kidnaps children doesn't exist. But what if she's wrong? Decent atmosphere and two functional scares. I'm missing something for a higher rating, but it's okay. 3/5.

A very well done Thai drama/thriller with the right ingredients. I love movies about cooking. They have been on the rise lately, but each one is unique and engaging in some way. Hunger is a bit of a combination of Whiplash and The Menu, which was pretty fitting for me. I wouldn't compare it to Boiling Point or The Bear, which are more about showing hectic shifts, this is a regular zero to hero genre film set in a kitchen. The protagonist is a likeable young chef who cooks in the family business and is offered a job in a fancy modern restaurant ruled by a ruthless and famous chef. Since she wants to be special she takes the offer, only she has no idea that she will hit her rock bottom there. I found the opening quite intense. The chef is, in short, a ruthless bastard whose mental pressure is simply unbearable, anyone would have mentally collapsed, fallen apart. The protagonist has some unpleasant moments, and all the confrontations with the chef who plays the bad guy are awesome and have great performances. The Thai setting, the culture, and Thai food adds a lot to the film, making it a little different than the American ones, and again I liked that. In terms of craftsmanship, the film is very well done by Thai standards, and there’s a surprise twist in the second half where the main character makes an interesting decision. The finale was also good, with have Protege vs Sensei in an interesting culinary duel backed up with attractive visuals and a nice message where love and family is stronger than fame, pride, mania and obsession. 8/10.

A new psychological slowburn drama with a slight horror edge from Austria. We have an overweight girl who goes to spend Easter with her aunt, who is supposed to help her lose some weight as she is into nutrition, only that this visit won't be entirely idyllic as something is definitely not right. It's a bit evocative of the much praised Speak no Evil, only here the psychological terror isn't as thick, it's more in the hints. Something interesting starts to happen only in the final minutes, which saves the whole film at least to the average. The execution and acting are fine, but who needs this nowadays? The Austrians are not strong representatives in the horror field, so any effort can be appreciated, but it could definitely have been presented in a more intense and chilling way. 5.5/10.

A short from Sweden about how you shouldn't take home mysterious lockers fished from the sea. It could have been shorter, but the finale is great. 6/10.

A great short that was the basis for least year’s accomplished Smile. Laura doesn't want to fall asleep because in her dreams she is haunted by a man who wants to kill her and changes his face. Decent atmosphere, great craftsmanship, great make-up and a great scare. This is a good one. 4/5.

A fan of historical big movies should not hesitate to go to the cinema. A French adaptation of the famous classic by Alexandre Dumas has arrived and I would say it is also the best to date. The huge budget is evident, the beautiful locations and settings are a delight and the best French stars are available: Vincent Cassel, Eva Green and Francois Civil. There are slight changes to the original story, so it's not an exact copy, but they are minor deviations that I welcome warmly. The new adaptation is without a doubt grittier, more action-packed, dirtier and darker. I was most impressed by the action shot in one take, which fits perfectly and is intense enough. I can't recall better filmed sword fights from other films. The finale in particular can lean on the attractive cathedral setting and the decent chaos that erupts there is delicious. All the actors do a good job and even the non-action passages where political intrigue builds up are entertaining. Certainly the film is also suitably suspenseful and atmospheric and visually impressive. I look forward to the second part. 7.5/10.

Very solid! It's got an idea, atmosphere, it's short, it's a perfect one-shot. The main character invents a tool to record his own dreams that I would love to have :) The apartment walk was decently disturbing. 7/10.

Strong 3 stars. Decent atmosphere for 3 minutes, and the ghost's apparition is definitely unpleasant and chilling. I'm not gonna lie :) 65%,.

Technically, it’s perfect, on par with a feature film. The make-up of the witch is wonderfully creepy (I can't think of a better portrayal of a witch – it begs for its own feature film), and it has that magical prison vibe. Too bad the finale had to be left to the viewer's imagination, otherwise a big thumbs up. 8/10.

By Czech standards, it is a fine and wacky comedy, progressive in its conception and form. Some of the scenes are bordering on awkwardness and "over the line" (Vyšehrad is still the best in recent years in all aspects, hands down), and sometimes it was hard to understand (Adam Ernest is funny, but I would prefer if he spoke normally). I got it between 3 and 4 stars, but as soon as the Doctor was on, he is the best character also in the first one, I laughed out loud. I was also intrigued by the finale, which is very bold, gritty, bizarre and twisted as it should be. A stronger and more progressive experience than Banger in that respect for me, when it comes to drugs and partying.